Raleigh-Durham International Airport will receive $4.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds to replace 2,000 incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED lighting on a runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration is handing out $1.1 billion in stimulus funds for airport projects. RDU will use its grant, announced Wednesday, to upgrade lighting on the 10,000-foot runway adjacent to Terminal 2.
“For efficiency's sake, this is a great project,” said Mindy Hamlin, RDU spokeswoman. “It will reduce energy costs by up to 60 percent.”
The new lights are expected to last about 13 years, in place of bulbs that had to be changed every six months. The work is expected to start this spring.
“Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act we are creating jobs in North Carolina and across the country while investing in the long-term safety and economic vitality of our airports,” Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, said in a press release.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter and editor since 1976, he took over the 
